By Christopher S. Pineo

Close to the southern border of the city there can be observed a mix of actors, renaissance fair workers, and curious minded students battling with swords.

The motions of the blades on Sunday at noon are not the quick, conservative, snapping moves of a fencing bout.  Instead they are deliberate, wide, telegraphed, and loud.

The classes are primarily for actors interested in learning the skills of swordplay said L. Stacey Eddy, Club Director of Baystate Fencing.

A major focal point of these classes is safety of the students, reinforced by practice and the supervision of quality staff, Eddy said. “You know if you have to do it six times a week and twice on Sunday you have to be able to do a fight that is real, but is safe.”

“You know if you hurt yourself on the first day and you’re out of work for a week, you’re screwed,” he said.

“I started off as an actor originally picked up fencing because it seemed like it was an important part of actor training,” he said.

“A lot of the stuff we do here is based on concepts and precepts that the Society of American Fight Directors codified, which basically is certain weapon styles, like rapier dagger, broadsword, sword and shield, quarter staff, unarmed, small sword, and knife.”

“We teach actors to be safe to, that’s really the basis of what stage combat is about. We teach them how to learn to take falls to grab onto people safely without hurting each other,” Eddy said.

Eddy said that his exposure to the world of swordplay began during a production of the play Richard III during his time in college.  ‚ÄúThey hired David Boushey to come and do the fights, he was the founding president of the Society of American fight Directors.‚Äù

“He came to western Washington State College where I was going at the time. He picked me out of the group and said, “You’re going to be in this fight because you know how to hold a weapon.”

“I got hooked up with the Society after that and I was with them until 1989 when I started freelancing as a designer,” Eddy said.

He said there is a correlation between fencing and stage combat and also some distinct differences between the two.  ‚ÄúA parry for example in a stage fight is going to be wide and sweeping, and not necessarily one that would work in real life.‚Äù

The sound of steel hitting steel at the fourth floor at 561 Windsor St. is not the accidental clash of handles or the quick snap of a functional parry.  In fact it is loud on purpose for the benefit of future audiences.